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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. PHELAN.

MACHINE GUN.

Nb. 249,204. Patented Nov. 8,1881.

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J. PHELAN.

MACHINE GUN.

No. 249,204. Patented Nov. 8,1881.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. PHELAN.

MACHINE GUN. No. 249,204. PatentedNov. 8,188.1.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

J. PHELAN. MACHINE GUN.

No. 249,204. Patented Nov. ,1881.

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JOHN PIIELAN, OF PITTSBUHG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOH on ONE-HALF To RALPH,.I. RICHARDSON, OF SAME PLAGE. Y

MACHINE-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,204, datedNovember` 8, 1881.

' Application led J une 23, 1881. (No model.)

To atl whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN PHELAN, of`Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in vMachine-Guns; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to thcaccompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to/an improvement in machine-guns; and it consistsin the combina-` tion ot a series of guns so arranged with relation toeach other that they may be continuouslyloaded and simultaneouslypointed in differentdirections and discharged consecutively, theoperating mechanism of the several guns .being coupled together, so thatone person may operate allot the guns constituting the bat,- tery, thewhole .being constructed, arranged, and operating in the manner as willhereinafter more fully appear.

To enable otherslskilled in the art with which myinvention is mostnearly connected to make and use it,- I will proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part ofmy specitication,Fignrel is a top view or plan of my improvement in battery formilitarypurposes. Fig. 2 is a rear or end elevation ot' the same. 11`ig.3 isavertical and longitudinal section of the same at line y y of Fig. 1.Fig. 4is a side elevation ot' the battery. Figs.` 5 and 6 are horizontalsections at lines y y' and yly" of Fig. 4. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are detailviews.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, A represents thecarriage or support for the several gnnsconstituting the battery.

B -B B represent the guns, which at the I breech 'are secured in and toSwivel-stands C G C. The upper halt', a, of the breech is at tached to ayoke, D, having trunnions b b,which move in curved slots c c in the armsE, which project from the swivel-stands C. On the inner sides, at theends Ot' the projecting arms E, are guide-pieces d,(see Figs.3 and 4,)between which the projections e on 'the side of the hopper F move, thelower end of the hopper resting on the upper half, a, ot' the 'breech ofthe gun. The hopperFhas aslidebotto,m,f,wh1ch is operated by arms g,attached to the yoke D.

The front and rear walls of the hopper are about vertical; but the sidewalls, I1.. converge toward the bottom,so that the openings in thebottom are about thc width and length of the cartridge for the gun. Theupper half, a, of the breech onjts upper side is slightly curvedlongitudinally, which imparts to the hopper F by the backend-forwardmovement of the upper half, a, of the breech and the yoke D, a slightvertical movement. v

Just below the part a ot' the vbreech and to v thc front part oftheyokeD are pivoted ngers i, for withdrawing the shell of the cartridgeafter the gun has lbeen fired; andjust below these tin gers is pivotedthe hanimer G, operated by the springj, and grooved eccentric H, pvotedin and between the projecting arms E, the projection k of the hammer Grmoving in the groove Zot' the eccentric H, and thrown out of said groovewhen `the projection m of thc eccentriccomes in contact with theprojection Ic. The several eccentrics H are coupled together by means ofswivel and sliding couplings u, and the swivel-standsV C C C arecoupledby means of links I J K, and to link'J is connected anoperating-lever, L.

The skillful mechanic from the foregoing description, `and byreferenceto the accompanying drawings, will readily understand theconstruction. of the several parts and the' relation they bear to eachother. I will therefore proceed to describe .the operation, which is asfol lows: The hoppers F being charged with cartridges, the operator, bymeans of a crank, A',

rotates the couplings n, which revolve the eccentrics H, which movesforward the yoke D, arms g, and sliding bottom f, which will allow acartridge to drop down on thetop side ot' the upper part, a, ofthebreech. The eccentric H then moves backward the yoke D, carrying with'itthe upper part, a, of the breech. VThe cartridge will be allowedbyithereceding of the part a to drop down/into its chamber in thev breech ofthe gun B, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. 1 The eccentric then moves forwardthe yoke D, which will bring the part a ot' the upper part of the breechinto place over the breech, in which position the gun is charged with acartridge and ready to be discharged, with 'an-` other cartridge restingonthe upper side'of theupper part, a., ot the breech. The projection mof the eccentric H then acting against the projection k of the hammer G,pulls it back until the projection m passes the projection k. The springj then causes the hammer G to strike the end of' the shell of thecartridge, and thereby explode it. The forward ends of the fingers 1',having caught over the flange of the shell ofthe cartridge, as shown inFig. 5, the backward movement of the yoke l) will draw back the ngers i,which will draw back the cartrid ge-shell, and the rear ends of 'thefingers t' will strike against the inclines 1) on theinner sides of theprojecting arms E, and thereby spread the front ends ot' the tin gerst,as shown in Fig. 6, and allow the cartridge-shell to drop from the gunand another cartridge to drop -into the breech of the gun,-to beexploded in the manner herenbefore described. The guns are pointed indifferent directions by moving the lever L from right to left. f

By the peculiar construction of the battery hereinbefore described acontinuous discharge of shot may be had with a scattering of shot invarious directions by a single gunner'.

Having thus'described my improvement, what I claim as of my inventionis- -1. The combination of machineguns separately mounted on swiveledcarriages, a shaft with swiveled couplings operating all the guns,

and mechanism, as described, for trainingthe guns in dilerent directionswhile operating them simultaneously, substantially as specied.

' 2. The combination, with the hopper F andl thereto, the hammers Gr,lingers "i, and grooved eccentrics H, connected by swivel-couplings, andprovid ed with lugs m, substantially as and for the purpose herein shownand described.

' JOHN PHELAN.

Witnesses? l A. C. JOHNSTON, W. S. GOLWELL.

